"Parker?" Sophie gave Parker's unusually staid outfit a look from top to bottom. "You know the case is over, right? You're done with jury duty. You don't have to be Alice anymore."

Parker only offered her a sheepish grin from beneath the headband reining in her long hair in an almost girlish fashion. "I know I don't have to," she stressed. "But no one said I couldn't if I wanted to. So I picked a date for a coffee get together."

Sophie gasped, delighted. "You met up with your friend! The one from the jury! What was her name again?"

"Peggy, the nutritionist." She lowered her voice in an almost conspiratorial tone. "I'm letting her talk Alice out of being a pure vegetarian because apparently rice isn't a complete protein on its own or something." Parker snorted, clearly pleased with herself. "It's a good thing she suggested a Starbucks because there was a Nation's Giant Burger across the street and I so would have thought of that place first."

"So, are you getting together again?" Sophie asked as she noticed Nate coming into the offices.

"Yeah, we made plans for the weekend. We're going skydiving!"

Sophie shook herself in shock while Parker started flouncing out, pulling off her headband as she went.

"Skydiving?"

"It's something we have in common!" Parker tossed back. "Or it will be once I take her for the first time. She really wants to do it."

"Parker... Sophie..." Nate nodded to them both in greeting as he entered.

"Hi, Nate!" she greeted their boss with a self-satisfied little smile. "Oh, I wanted to ask you something. What's a bucket list?"

As Sophie chuckled to herself in understanding, Nate just patted Parker on the shoulder with a paternal air of knowing.

For anyone who actually notices me publishing a bunch of unusual fandoms in one shots, it's just my annual goal of publishing at least one fic in each of my fandoms before year's end. Last year (and the year before) I waited too long and had trouble fitting them all in so I'm rushing to get them done this year too.

And yes, I'm backdating to fit more fic in. Given how little fic I've had time for since I went back to college full time, I figure people can't be too upset to see a brief spurt of fic from me.